Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Alice Scott was sent an intriguing email. Margaret Ives, the heiress whose family was known for tragic deaths and over the top scandals, is supposedly living on a small island and selling artwork. When Alice tracks her down, she asks to write Margaret's biography. But it turns out that she's not the only writer in the running. As she's leaving, Pulitzer prize winning Hayden Anderson is walking in. It turns out the two will be in town for a month long audition. 

The town is small and super-sunshine Alice keeps running into grumpy Hayden and the two start spending time together. While we see the two of them getting to know each other, we also get a history of the Ives family. The story with Alice and Hayden was lovely.  The Ives instersitials were... fine but broke up the main story more than I would have liked. Overall a very nice story, though. 

Four stars

This book came out April 22, 2025

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Death at Silent Pool by Benedict Brown

Christopher has reached the ripe old age of twenty but is still solving mysteries with his grandfather. It has been some time since the last book and, rather than traveling the continent like Lord Edgington had been promising, Christopher has been working to solve small mysteries in London. 

The book starts off with the solution to the disappearance of some jewels but then jumps back in time to the disappearance of Patinece Hindmarsh, wife of Abraham and mother of five children, none of whom seem to actually like each other. Abraham does not want help from either the police or Lord Edgington until three weeks later when his own life is threatened. And he is, indeed the next person to die; not the last. 

The Hindmarsh family has no lack of suspects including some side characters. The end is very twisty and turn-y but I was willing to suspend my disbelief in the enjoyment of the story. 

Four stars

Lord Edgington Investigates #14

This book came out April 21, 2024

Follows The Puzzle of Parham House

Followed by The Christmas Candle Murders

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Sister Wife by Christine Brown Woolley

I listened to this book right after I finished Becoming Sister Wives. It was really lovely to hear it in Christine's own voice. And, though some of the stories were re-hashed from the first book, they were also sometimes expanded. The story of meeting Meri and Kody, of "dating" Kody, and of meeting the other wives. This also goes beyond the marriage and gives some of the highs and lows in Christine's life. 

It's especially nice to be able to hear her tone of voice and to hear the sunny cheerfulness she (and Kody) say she had before she married him.

Four stars

This book came out September 2, 2025

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Becoming Sister Wives: The Story of an Unconventional Marriage Kody Brown with Robyn Brown, Meri Brown, Christine Brown

If you go in not expecting much, this is a perfectly fine book. 

It starts with Kody talking about their first live appearance after the show aired. Of course, this book is 13 (!) years old at this point so it hasn't aged well, many of the stories talking about what a tight family they are.  We do get to see how Kody met all of his wives and some explanation in to how they each fit together but it is all rather superficial.  (with five rotating narrators, there's not much you can fit into a book). 

I did read this right before I read Christine's book and I think pairing the two elevated both. A couple of her stories are repeated but not many. It made for a nice book end to the beginning and what may or not be the end of a popular television series.

Four stars

This book came out May 1, 2012

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Fudge-a-Mania by Judy Blume

It's summer (yay!) and Peter's parents have a lead on a place to stay. Too bad the tip came from Sheila Tubman's parents. And that he's going to be staying right next door to her all summer long. Add in shenanigans of Fudge wanting to marry Sheila, Buzz Tubman and Peter's grandmother getting along Very Well, and Peter not telling Jimmy where Sheila's actually staying before his best friend visits and you have a rollicking good story. 

Four stars

Fudge #4

This book came out in 1990

Follows Super Fudge

Followed by Double Fudge

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Superfudge by Judy Blume

Peter and Fudge are about to have some major life upheavals. First, their mother is pregnant. Second, they're going to be living in Princeton (NEW JERSEY!) for a year while their dad takes a sabbatical to write a book. 

Peter is NOT happy. And finding out he's going to be in the same school as Fudge makes it even worse, especially when he's called into the principal's office on the first day to help deal with Fudge. But he does make a new friend, Alex, so that's not so bad.

Is this book a little dated? In some ways. As with many of Blume's books, though, the overarching themes stand the test of time. 

Four stars

Fudge #3

This book came out in 1980

Follows Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

Followed by Fudge-a-Mania

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Death and Dinuguan by Mia P. Manansala

There have bee n a series of burglaries in town, all have occurred at women-owned businesses. Then one of the burglaries ends in one death and one woman in a coma, someone who is very close to Jae. 

This is a regular in the series though I do not think you need to have read the rest of the books to enjoy this one. The author's note markd this as the final book in the series which would be sad, but there are some possibilities to continue further if Manansala changes her mind in the future.

Three and a half stars

This book comes out November 25, 2025

Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #6

Follows Guilt and Ginataan

ARC kindly provided by Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Lord Peter Views the Body by Dorothy L. Sayers

Great stories. Perfect for a night-time read. Peter solves wonderful cases including one with a sculptor whose model is perfect except for one toe, a will devised by a crossword fanatic, and one case which requires him to be "dead" for two years.

Four stars

Lord Peter Wimsey #4 (or maybe 4.5?)

This book came out in 1928

Follows Unnatural Death

Followed by The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club

Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great by Judy Blume

Sheila Tubman was a side character in Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. Now, she's front and center. She has a little bit of a lying problem along with a fear of swimming and dogs. Her family is getting out of the city for the summer and watching another family's house. And dog...

She's going to make some new friends this summer, including Mouse who isn't going to put up with Sheila's lies, but is surprisingly good at not calling her out on it. 

Four stars

Fudge #2

This book came out in 1972

Follows Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Followed by Superfudge

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Will outlines his moves throughout the restaurant industry, even working for Danny Meyer who is famous for his own book about hospitality.

Leader's job is to find the strengths of everyone on their team, no matter how buried those strengths might be.

Talks about the 1-Minute Manager

Chapter 7 really speaks to me and my work. Our managers/employees both live and work together so it can be really hard to address problems with people, because you like them and you want them to like you. But suddenly, one small problem becomes a thorn in the manager's side when the employee never knew that the problem was an issue. 

Not everyone can (or should) read their own story, but Will did an amazing job on narrating this book. 

Four stars

This book came out October 25, 2022

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume

This book actually holds up from my childhood and hearing Judy Blume read it herself was... just so amazing. 

Peter Hatcher is nine years old and is figuring out his life, especially having to navigate it with his two-year-old brother who everyone calls Fudge. Both are a little precocious but hearing about Peter's book report, and how others rely on him to help not only navigate the world (Fudge's birthday party and then Dad taking them to the moview) but to demonstrate to Fudge how he should be acting. Then there's navigating having a little brother who breaks into his room, destroys his homework, and eats turtle.

Four stars

Fudge #1

This book came out in 1972

Followed by Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau, Caitlin Kinnunen (Narrator)

Fourteen-year-old Mary Jane is growing up in 1970s Baltimore. Her family seems "normal" for the time, stay at home, perfectionist mother, emotionally distant working father. But her life is about to be turned upside down when she becomes the nanny for three-year-old Izzy Cone. 
Izzy's parents are nothing like Mary Jane's. They shout, they show public affection, and their house is not organized to within an inch of its life. But there is a lot of love and some famous stars. Dr. Richard Cone is a psychiatrist and has cleared his whole schedule to help Jimmy work on his addictions. Jimmy is married to the electric Sheba who was on a television variety show and has many brothers. 
In a house of chaos, Mary Jane becomes the most stable person. As she tries to bring order into the swirling emotions of the people in the Cone house, she learns exactly how fallible adults can be and starts to see flaws, even in her own family. She also learns that there is no one lifestyle that is going to provide perfection. 
This is very much a book that reflects the values of the time including both casual and fairly blatant racism. Mary Jane is figure out how to navigate feelings that are suddenly bigger than what she is used to. A very familiar feeling for almost anyone who has been a teenager.

Four stars

This book came out May 11, 2021

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews with Bernadette Dunne (Narrator)

Meg has two cousins getting married the Saturday before Christmas. Not a great day to begin with but their inconsiderate choices don't stop there. They are getting married on the same day at the same location and are feuding about it the whole time. Somehow, Meg's mom has become their de facto wedding planner since they've run everyone else off. The only bright point is that they are having their receptions at the Caerphilly Inn and Ekaterina is able to handle their nonsense.

Robin is only a little less adept at handling them at the church. It's just too bad that the front of the church is closed off at the moment and everyone is having to go through the graveyard. The same graveyard that has only just been re-consecrated after a series of pranks by some local teens. The same graveyard where a body is discovered.A

If you are a regular Langslow reader, you will probably clock both the victim(s) and the perpetrator(s) (trying to obfuscate this a little.) And that just adds to the delight of this book. The mystery is overall a little thinner than normal but a good read.

Four stars

Meg Langslow #38

Follows For Duck's Sake

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

ARC of ebook kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

Calling All Blessings by Beverly Jenkins

Another Blessings novel and storylines are being advanced. 

Devon July is getting older. As a child, he was treated as a prodigy, a child who could preach as well as an adult. Now, he's having trouble adjusting, hiding behind a wig and a LOT of denial and ego. 

His adopted great, great-grandmother is also having troubles. Her past has come back to haunt her and she's not sure what do do about it. She has promised to lead Devon on a spirit journey but her own turmoil is interfering somewhat.

There are a number of other characters included. I wouldn't start with this book as the stories are really better when read as a series. 

Three stars

This book came out October 28, 2025

Follows A Christmas to Remember

ARC kindly provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Murderous RIde; A Taste of Murder by Helena Marchmont, Nathaniel Parker (Narrator)

 A Murderous Ride

In book one of this series, Alfie went to Bunburry to see the cottage his aunt had left him. He had spent time in the village as a child and being here as an adult was bringing back memories, both good and bad. He decided to stick around not least because he solved a murder with his aunt's friends Liz and Marge. 

We learn that Alfie is not much of a driver; there appears to have been an accident in his past. But he lives in the country and the bus system is... not the best. And his aunt has left him a vintage Jaguar. It is that Jaguar, that ends up on top of a mechanic and lands Alfie straight in the crosshairs of the local sergeant who decides, basically on sight, that Alfie must be the man who murdered him. 

It's up to Alfie and the crew to determine who the real killer was and clear his name.

Three stars
Bunburry #2

This book came out November 1, 2018

Follows Murder at the Mousetrap

Followed by A Taste of Murder

Audiobook from Audible

A Taste of Murder

Vivian has been mentioned in previous books. Her absence from Alfie's life has been a bit murky. In this book, we get more information not only on why she is no longer with Alfie, but also how the two met. But that is wrapped around a murder in the present day. 

A local farmer is murdered. Alfie's friend Betty is suspected of the crime as she had had an arguement with the man about how he treated his animals. 

Three stars

Bunburry #3

This book came out November 1, 2018

Follows 

Followed by Death of a Ladies' Man

Audiobook from Audible

Opinions are my own

Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

 This is a really interesting book that I hope to have the chance to read again. I highly recommend getting a copy of your own to be able to really dive into Le Cunff's suggestions.

Too much of our life is centered on "productivity" or "career" where we could be working toward happiness. There are a LOT of examples which dilutes the message a little but I overall enjoyed this book. 

Four stars

This book came out March 24, 2025

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles

What a lovely story written in the Gothic tradition. 

Set in 1905, Zebedee "Zeb" Wyckham has been invited for a family reunion at his  cousin Wynn's house. He wasn't particularly excited to go (his immediate family is pretty horrible and he only barely remembers Wynn), but Wynn managed to talk him into it. 

He is startled to see that the house is in the middle of the moors and is basically a monstrosity. Inside the house is Wynn, Zeb's brother Bram and his wife Elise, dissolute cousin Hawley, and another, more distant cousin, Colonel Dash. Also in the house? His former boss (and lover), Gideon. Oh, and a young cousin, Jessamine, to whom Wynn will leave all of the family money, but only if she marries one of the family members.  

With writing on the walls, ghostly presences, and an atmosphere made even more eerie by gas lamps, this was a spooky (but not scary) book that I could barely put down.

Four stars

This book comes out October 7, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan

Did this book have a lot of depth? No. Were ALL of the characters well-developed? No. Did it make me cry tears of emotional happiness at the end after I tore through the book? Yes. 

Morgan can be an uneven writer for me but she knocked this story out of the park. Three adult children are coming home for Christmas. One daughter, Rosie, is having some problems in her marriage. Her twin, Becky, knew Declan first. Maybe they would be a better match. 

Becky knows that something is wrong. And that's more than the giant snowstorm that has stranded her at the airport. Her brother's best friend (whose family lives right next door) has one of the last rental cars. There's never been a romance between them but there's also never been just one bed.

Last is brother Jamie who is bringing his new girlfriend Hayley. He has a big announcement. Could an engagement be in the offing?

Four stars

This book comes out October 7, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Solving a Murder by F.H. Petford

World War II is in full force when Alma Timperly is informed that her aunt has died and left her a hotel in Cornwall. Alma is initially confused because she had no idea that she even had an aunt. But the lawyer seems nice and Alma's intuition is telling her that he is trustworthy. So she is off to take over the Timperly Spiritualist Hotel. 

There, Alma is surprised to learn that her aunt actually had the gift of talking to the dead. Even more surprisingly, Alma seems to have the gift as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as if either of the two other spiritualists actually have the gift. That doesn't dissuade people from coming to see them at the hotel.
The hotel is fairly well run and Alma is pretty much able to step in. She also has a couple of suitors and seems to move quickly. However, they are in a war and life just moves quickly then. She'll also have to move fast to uncover the German spy that is operating out of her place.

There was a little much going on in this story but I enjoyed it overall. 

Four stars

This book comes out October 2, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman

The Thursday Murder Club is back and celebrating the wedding of Joyce's daughter. Even there, they find themselves embroiled in intrigue. It seems the best man needs Elizabeth's help. But Elizabeth is still reeling from events of the last book and isn't completely on her game. Luckily, her friends (and their families) are behind her. 

It seems the best man, Nick, has found a bomb under his car. He's pretty sure he knows why and it has to do with his security company and a large amount of money.

In this book, we get some new characters as well as some old enemies who make for uneasy alliances. We don't get to see as much of our favorite coppers, but we do get to see Elizabeth and her friends do what they do best. 

Three and a half stars

This book came out September 30, 2025

Follows The Last Devil to Die

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Viking Penguin

Opinions are my own